I am Kerby. I am an African American male and I am 43 years old now. Before I came to Community Alternatives, I battled homelessness for fourteen years. I have been in a stable place, at Page Manor, for two years now. I am one year sober, and this is the longest time since forever that I have maintained being sober.

The hardest thing about being homeless was not knowing if I would be a victim of violence, but rather when I was going to be. Several times throughout those fourteen years I came to within an inch of my life. It's pretty sad when you feel safer in an old, half-demolished building on Saint Louis Avenue than you do in a men's shelter.

I have not been victimized once since living in the boarding home. I know that I can get my own place and I am just about ready. All I need to do is get a little more grounded. I have one year clean, the longest ever and I have learned how to budget my money. When I get my own place, I know I will need a lot of help. What helped me the most when I homeless was that the people at Community Alternatives managed to find me wherever I was even when I didn't want to be found. Some of us need that extra encouragement! I know I can depend on them to help me when I'm ready to live on my own.

It has been such a pleasure knowing the people at Community Alternatives. Some days I would be so disgusted and they found me and helped me anyway and I am so appreciative for them. They're like my second family, they know everything about me, even my secrets, and that's a good thing! It's a good thing that I'm comfortable enough to share everything with this second family of mine. I'm rebuilding a whole lot of burnt bridges with my real family and that takes time, but now I have people I know will find me and help me no matter what.

Kerby lived in the abandoned house on the left while he was homeless, and now lives in the boarding home on the right. He's come a long way!